Updated September 2026

Cost to drill a well in BC

Nanaimo Well Drilling bases your well drilling price on a per-foot rate set against ground conditions. We look at regional depth medians to estimate the cost to drill a well in BC, from 13 m at Cassidy to 80 m on Nanoose Hill. You can reduce your final price through Regional District of Nanaimo rebates up to $650 for wellhead upgrades and up to $350 for water testing. We give you the full quote in writing after evaluating your site.

Updated September 2026

A drilled water well features steel casing into the aquifer, a surface seal, a tight cap, and a provincial ID plate. The surface seal and tight cap work together to keep surface water out of your well.

For a full breakdown of the work itself, see what drilling a new well involves.

What does a water well cost here?

We charge drilling per foot, so overall depth determines most of your final bill. Below are our standard rates and typical total costs across the district based on published median depths for each aquifer.

What we charge
Item	Rate
Drilling with steel casing installed	$90 per foot
Open bedrock borehole below the casing	$65 per foot
PVC liner where rock conditions require it	$10 per foot
Surface seal (required under the GWPR)	$1,650
Casing shoe (6 inch)	$350
Well development	$550 per hour, usually 2 to 4 hours

Pump and finishing
Item	Typical range
Well pump	$900 – $3,000
Pressure tank	$400 – $2,500
Electrical connection	$500 – $1,500
Pump system installed	$3,000 – $8,000
Storage tank system for a low-yield well	From $4,000
Lab water analysis panel	$50 – $650

Typical finished well by area
Area	Ground	Typical depth	Typical drilled cost
Cassidy	Sand and gravel	About 43 ft	$8,000 – $12,000
Gabriola Island	Bedrock	About 110 ft	$10,000 – $14,000
Parksville	Sand and gravel	About 118 ft	$14,000 – $18,000
Cedar & Yellow Point	Bedrock	About 164 ft	$14,000 – $18,000
Errington & Coombs	Bedrock	About 197 ft	$16,000 – $20,000
Nanoose Hill	Bedrock	About 262 ft	$20,000 – $26,000

Figures exclude GST. Listed depths show published aquifer medians, meaning half of recorded local wells are deeper. What you pay moves with how deep we actually have to go. We confirm the price in writing after we have looked at the site.

What moves the price on your well?

We price your well on five things. First, depth to the water table, which depends on local ground conditions. Second, depth to bedrock, because drilling through surface soils uses different methods than rock. Third, casing length, which depends on how much surface soil sits over the rock. Fourth, stainless well screens, which sand and gravel wells require but bedrock wells do not. Fifth, access: whether a rig can reach your site, and what it costs us to get there on an island or a steep lot.

How deep will your well need to be?

We review provincial GWELLS files and aquifer mapping reports for your property before we provide a quote. These figures reflect medians, so half of recorded wells are shallower and half are deeper.

Published medians by aquifer
Area	Aquifer	Type	Median depth	Median yield
Cedar & Yellow Point	162	Bedrock	About 50 m	About 2 US gal/min
Cassidy	161	Sand and gravel	About 13 m	About 20 US gal/min
Nanoose Hill	218	Bedrock	About 80 m	About 5 US gal/min
Errington & Coombs	220	Bedrock	About 60 m	About 3 US gal/min
Gabriola Island	709	Bedrock	About 34 m	About 4.5 US gal/min
Parksville & Coombs	216	Sand and gravel	About 36 m	About 25 US gal/min

How do Nanaimo-area costs compare with the rest of BC?

The Province keeps no provincial average well price, because every driller charges by the foot against the ground under your lot — a provincial figure would hide the depth differences that set the real cost. What BC does publish is the well record registry: GWELLS holds over a hundred thousand wells, with drillers required to file a report within 90 days of construction since the Water Sustainability Act took effect in 2016. The pattern those records show province-wide is the one we see here: wells into valley-bottom sand and gravel finish shallow and cheaper, while wells into bedrock go deeper and cost more. Cassidy's 13 m median is the shallow end of that pattern and Nanoose Hill's 80 m median is the deep end. Ask for the median depth and yield for your own aquifer — that number, not a provincial average, is what your quote should be built on.

Regional District of Nanaimo rebates for private well owners
Rebate	Covers	Maximum
Wellhead upgrade	Well cap, casing stick-up, surface seal, well closure	Up to $650 per wellhead
Surface seal	Installing a compliant surface seal	$300
Casing stick-up	Raising casing to the required height	$200
Well closure	Decommissioning a well no longer in service	$500
Well water testing	Half of lab analysis costs	$350, once per well every five years

What can you claim back?

Two rebate programs apply to you as a private well owner in the district. Rebates lower your finishing costs, and the regional district manages final eligibility rules. The Wellhead Upgrade Rebate allows one rebate per wellhead, with 2026 eligible work taking place between 1 January and 15 December.

Why are testing and paperwork quoted separately?

We price a pump test, a camera survey and a lab panel separately from drilling because they answer different questions. Where a pumping test is required under the Groundwater Protection Regulation it must be performed or directly supervised by a professional with competency in hydrogeology, and that professional's interpretation is part of what is being bought.

Is wellhead work worth doing?

Upgrading your wellhead gear is the most affordable way to protect water quality. A cap that no longer seals, casing sitting flush with the ground, or a missing surface seal all let surface water into the well, and all three are rebated. Testing your system costs far less than replacing a pump and identifies the real issue.

We quote by the foot, with a written depth range for the aquifer beneath your property. To see exact costs for your property, ask for a written quote from our team.